1. Technical Field
Embodiments relate generally to gas cooling of a computer device. More particularly, some embodiments relate to air cooling of a computer device in which air is directly drawn into a fan means through a hydrophobic membrane attached to an upper exterior surface of the computer device.
2. Background Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a partial cross-sectional view of a body 100 of a computing device, and other select elements of the computing device. The body 100 contains therein various components configured to dissipate heat according to a prior known technique. Body 100 at least partially defines an interior volume from which heat is to be dissipated. For example, the surfaces of one or more structures of body 100 and/or the surfaces of one or more components attached to such structures define an upper interior surface 107a and a lower interior surface 107b facing upper interior surface 107a. An exterior of body 100 is at least partially defined by corresponding upper exterior surface 105a and lower exterior surface 105b. A PC board 130 (and/or components thereon) within body 100 may generate or otherwise conduct heat during some operation of the computing device, where such heat needs to be sufficiently dissipated from body 130 for operation of the computing device.
To dissipate such heat, a fan 110 within body operates to draw air into its various intakes—e.g. an upper intake 115a facing upper interior surface 107a and/or a lower intake 115b facing lower interior surface 107b. Fan 110 is positioned so that it intersects a plane in which PC board 130 is positioned, such that a drawing of air into upper intake 115a contributes to an air flow 120a across a top surface 132a of PC board 130. Air which is drawn into fan 110 through the various intakes flows out of an exhaust 140 as an outflow 175 from the interior volume of body 100. The outflow 175 is directed through a heat exchanger 145 to provide an additional means for dissipating heat from body 100.
An upper exterior surface 105a of body 100—opposite upper interior surface 107a—typically faces upward to some extent during an expected use of the computing device. Upper exterior surface 105a may, for example, incorporate or otherwise position a work surface having one or more I/O devices for user interaction. Conversely, a lower exterior surface 105b of body 100—opposite lower interior surface 107b—typically faces downward to some extent during an expected use of the computing device. In typically facing downward, lower exterior surface 105b is comparatively less likely to be exposed to possible sources of liquid intrusion into the interior volume of body 100. By contrast, in typically facing upward and/or being an area of regular user interaction, upper exterior surface 105a is comparatively more likely to be exposed to possible sources of such liquid intrusion.
Fan 110 is oriented for drawing air vertically up and/or vertically down into itself. For fans so oriented, previous techniques for heat dissipation have positioned such fans so as to avoid the risk of liquid intrusion directly into fan 110. More particularly, fan 110 is positioned in body 100 so that any drawing of air into body 100 does not include directly drawing air into upper intake 115a from upper interior surface 107a. Therefore, previous techniques position upper intake 115a under some air impermeable cover—e.g. area 155 of upper exterior surface 105a which is air impermeable. Moreover, previous techniques for heat dissipation have positioned vents in body 100 to exploit the low risk of liquid intrusion through the downward-facing lower exterior surface 105b. More particularly, a vent 150 is positioned directly under lower exterior surface 105b to allow an air flow 170 from outside body 100, through the adjacent lower interior surface 105b and directly into lower intake 115b. 
The positioning of upper intake 115a only under air-impermeable area 155 means that all of the air taken into upper intake 115a has been previously drawn horizontally within body 100—e.g. over PC board 130. By contrast, the positioning of lower intake 115b over vent 150 in the lower exterior surface 105b means that a substantial amount of the air taken into lower intake 115b—e.g. the air of air flow 170—has not been drawn across any other components within body 100. Indeed, the volume of air flow 170 typically limits much or any air flow 120b across a bottom surface 132b of PC board 130. Since flow 120b is not appreciable, previous heat dissipation techniques have not provided effective cooling of the lower side 132b of PC board 130 and/or lower interior surface 107b of body 100.